Singapore fell to the Japanese on February 15, 1942 and remained occupied until September 1945. Kranji is the most appropriate place to begin the trip that will vividly describe the Fall of Singapore. It ends on the steps of old City Hall, where Japan officially surrendered Singapore to the Allies in 1945. The trip can be completed in a day, on a series of taxi rides and will cost about 200 Singapore dollars.
Kranji War Memorial
Kranji lies at the far north-western part of Singapore near the Johore Causeway. It still retains some of the rural parts of Singapore. The main thrust of the Japanese invasion forces landed here. Kranji has 4464 graves and 23943 names are etched on the columns.
The Old Ford Factory
This is on Upper Bukit Timah Road. In its vicinity the fiercest battles were fought and the Japanese suffered the bulk of their losses . Here the Head of the Allied forces, Lt General A. E. Percival, surrendered to General Yamashita of the Japanese Forces. It was the Japanese Army's HQ during the war. View rare photographs, maps and artifacts and watch documentaries featuring exclusive footage of the Second World War.
Opium Hill or Bukit Chandu
Next stop is Bukit Chandu, where 1400 soldiers of the Malay Regiment fought a valiant battle against 13000 Japanese soldiers. Walk through the galleries displaying photographs, maps and information detailing the Defense of Malaya and the Malay Regiment. The spellbinding Pepper's Ghost will bring you through the Battle of Pasir Panjang to the last moments of the brave soldiers who fought in vain to delay the advance of the Japanese towards the city.
If you have time, a short ride from Bukit Chandu can take you to Mount Faber where you can appreciate the terrain and strategic nature of the Pasir Panjang flank in the defense of Singapore.
The Sook Ching Memorial Monument
Head over to the Sook Ching Memorial Monument at Hong Lim Park, Chinatown which is now a bustling shopping and dining area. Sook Ching means "a purge through cleansing" in Chinese. This is where the Kempeitai, the feared Japanese secret police, rounded up Chinese males before machine-gunning them, at various locations on the island, to avenge Japanese losses.
The Changi Prison Chapel and Museum
If you have read James Clavell's compelling book, King Rat, you will move fast across the island to Changi where allied POW's were imprisoned. Some survived the ordeal but many perished. Changi Prison Chapel is a replica of the Chapel built by POW's who were held there. Next to it is the Changi Prison Museum with an excellent collection of drawing, sketches and photographs which depicts life inside Changi Prison during the war.
Civilian War Memorial
Finally, return to the city at the Civilian War Memorial, a monument of four pillars situated near the City Hall MRT station. It is a memorial to those who lost their lives during the war and the Japanese occupation of Singapore. Across the road is the Padang (or "The Field" in Malay) and the old City Hall, where the Japanese officially surrendered Singapore to the allies on its steps in 1945.
If you can squeeze in some time and money, head for a few more WW II sites given below.
The Battle Box
This is tucked away deep into the hillside of Fort Canning. It served as the underground command center for the British Malaya Command Headquarters at the outbreak of World War II. There are lifelike wax models of the generals and soldiers in the bombproof shelter.
The Johore Battery
This site was only discovered in 1991. It was the largest battery installed outside of Britain during WW II, as part of the defense measure for the island. The gun emplacement site consisted of a labyrinth of tunnels for storing ammunition and to support the three monster guns. The original guns were destroyed before the British Army surrendered in 1942. But you can see replicas of the monster guns and the shells.
Fort Siloso
Fort Siloso was meant to protect Singapore harbor from sea-borne invasion. But it saw very little action during the war, as the Japanese invaded from the north by land. The Japanese occupation force used it as a concentration camp for prisoners of war from 1942 until 1945. Today, it is the only fully preserved British coastal fortification still standing in Singapore. It evokes the city’s colonial past and serves as a reminder of the Japanese occupation.
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